DIFC Dedicates a Month to Providing Humanitarian Support

Dubai-UAE: 17 June 2017 – Dubai International Financial Centre (DIFC), the region’s leading international financial hub and destination for lifestyle, arts and culture, has reiterated its commitment to the UAE Government’s Year of Giving with its ‘DIFC Humanitarian Month’ campaign.

The month of community-focused activities kicked off with the ‘Eliminate Their Thirst’ water and meal distribution initiative on 22 May 2017. More than 140 members of the DIFC community came together to distribute water bottles, supplied by Mai Dubai, and meal packages to 2,500 individuals from the construction teams working on the Gate Avenue at DIFC and ‘The Exchange’ developments in the district.

In the spirit of the Holy Month of Ramadan, DIFC’s schedule of special events has also included Iftar Sa’em. As part of this initiative, DIFC has teamed up with the ladies and gentlemen of The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC to embrace their Community Footprints programme and to provide daily meals to over 3,000 domestic staff working in the Centre at iftar time.Furthermore, the DIFC collaborated with Emirates Red Crescent to collect and distribute clothing to the less fortunate, as part of its ‘Clothes for Humanity’ drive. The initiative saw more than 60 donation boxes packed and shared with families in need across the region, ahead of the upcoming Eid celebrations.

Alya Al Zarouni, Senior Vice President of Operations at DIFC Authority, said: “Ramadan is a time for reflection and for giving. Our CSR campaigns always aim to raise awareness, encourage and foster that humanitarian and volunteering spirit, and show our appreciation for all the support we receive from our community. The initiatives launched during the DIFC Humanitarian Month reinforce our gratitude to the hard-working individuals in and around the Centre, while doing our part to support those in need.”

UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan declared 2017 the Year of Giving, with three pillars of giving to be highlighted throughout the year: Corporate Social Responsibility, Volunteering and Serving the Nation. The Year of Giving was inspired by the values of hospitality and generosity which lie at the heart of the UAE’s Arab identity, and by the example of the UAE’s founding father, Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan.In 2016, DIFC held over 25 corporate and social responsibility activities and DIFC has already shown a strong commitment to giving and CSR this year.